


My Silence is Your Protection

by It_started_out_as_a_feeling



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Hurt Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Protective FP Jones II, Varchie (mentioned), bughead - Freeform, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-02-26 11:45:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18716407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/It_started_out_as_a_feeling/pseuds/It_started_out_as_a_feeling
Summary: Set after Jughead’s mum comes back with JB. When Jughead confronts her about being the new Fizzle Rocks dealer. (only jug  and JB know about it)Jughead has been coming to school with way too many bruises way too often for Betty’s liking. Jughead won’t tell her where it’s from and he just mutters petty excuses. So, Betty takes matters into her own hands with the help of Archie. But they find out more than they bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

Betty was walking through the school hall when she saw Jughead taking books out of his locker. She walked over to him where he was now closing his locker. He turned around and saw her and smiled. Betty stopped when she saw his face. He had a bruise covering his right cheek, a cut under his eye.   
‘Hey,’ he said as Betty took his hand and looked up at him.   
‘What happened? she asked, reaching up to inspect hit closer.  
‘Nothing, just me and my big mouth,’ he said, smirking, taking her hand and leading her to their first class.  
‘Are you sure, Juggie?’ she asked, not convinced.  
‘Yes, Betts, its fine,’ he said, and changed the subject before she could push further.  
The next few weeks, Jughead kept coming to school with bruises and cuts here and there. He wouldn’t even give Betty and Archie a good reason. They reluctantly let it slip until one day, he came to school with one Betty couldn’t ignore.  
Betty was sitting in the student lounge with Archie talking about the latest news for the Blue & Gold when Jughead, hoddie wrapped around him tightly, came in and took a seat next to her.  
‘Hey, Juggie!’ she greeted, taking his hand.  
‘Hey, Betty, Arch,’ he greeted.  
‘Hey, Jug, how’s your mum and JB?’ Archie asked, leaning back in his chair, trying to get comfortable. Jughead shifted nervously but smiled. A smile that didn’t reach his eyes.   
‘It’s great,’ he said. Too quickly, Betty thought, ‘How’s your dad?’ he asked, changing the subject.  
‘He’s good,’ Archie said casually. Oblivious as always. Jughead nodded, his hoodie shifting, blue-purple skin on his neck peeking out slightly. Betty swiftly pulled his hoodie off his neck to get a better look. It looked similar to the one she saw on TV after someone was choked.  
‘Oh my gosh, Juggie!’ she cried, running a hand lightly over his bruised skin. ‘What on Earth happened? Are you okay?’  
Jughead flinched, pulling his hoodie up quickly, ‘nothing, I’m fine,’ he mumbled.  
‘Jughead, that’s not nothing,’ Archie stated, leaning forward, ‘what happened? The truth, please,’ he said.   
My mum choked me when I threatened to tell dad the real reason she came back, he thought, but instead said, ‘Archie, as I said, it’s nothing,’ he stood up, ‘I’ll see you guys around,’ he left the lounge.  
Betty looked at Archie. ‘Something is happening to him, and I’m done ignoring it. Are you gonna help me figure out what it is?’ she asked him.  
Archie nodded, ‘of course, he’s my best friend,’ he said.  
‘How are we going to see what’s happening? We’ll need evidence once we do so Jughead will actually admit somethings happening.’  
‘Well, it would probably be a bit of an invasion of privacy but… I could get Veronica to help me buy some cameras and we could see if it is happening at his house?’ he suggested.  
Betty nodded thoughtfully. ‘Yeah… Do you think Mr Jones has noticed? And have you noticed he’s only started coming to school with bruises since his mum came back?’  
Archie bit his lip, nodding.  
Betty was going to figure out what was going on. Whoever was hurting her Juggie would have to answer to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic had the most kudos so I thought I'd update it first :D So sosososo sorry for the long wait!

'Hey, Ronnie!' Archie called as he saw a flash of black hair over the lunchroom. She stopped turned around and once she saw Betty and Archie, quickly walked over to them.  
'Hey, guess what? Cheryl just posted this pic of Jughead and his mum fighting!' she said opening her phone and scrolling to find it. She showed it to them. 'I don't think she should have done that but did you guys know they were fighting?' she asked, trying to be casual as if she didn't care.   
Archie and Betty shared nervous looks.  
'V,' Betty started, trying to think of what she was going to say,'Archie and I need your help. We think Gladys is hurting Jughead, he keeps coming to school hurt ever since his mum came back to town.'Veronica sat down, worry washing over her face.   
'How can I help?'  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------  
'Forsythe! Get down here!' Gladys yelled from downstairs. Jughead groaned. What did she want now? His father was out at work and JB had already left for school. He walked down stairs and leaned against the stairway rail. 'What?' he asked, no respect evident.  
'Don't use that tone with me, young man,' she said standing up and walking over to him. She gripped his hair and showed him a picture of her phone. 'Did you put Cheryl up to this?' she asked. The picture was of Jughead and Gladys fighting. It was about time. Hopefully his father would see it and save him from this. He didn't know if he could take it much longer. 'No,' he lied.  
'Oh really?' she asked, leaning closer, her nose right in front of his own. 'Then why has my employee shown me this?' she switched to another photo, this time of Jughead and Cheryl under a tree in the park, Jughead giving his lunch money to Cheryl. This was when he paid her to take a photo of them. She was a good friend, didn't even take the money.  
Juhgead stayed silent. 'That's what I thought,' Gladys said, closing her fist and bringing her fist down of the side of his head. He was glad for the darkness, he'd been missing sleep lately too.

He wished it'd last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry thats all I had the time for, I have to go to school now. Soz for the late update.


	3. Chapter 3

‘Archie!’ betty called over the crowd of students in the school hallway. Archie looked over his shoulder and smiled before nodding to an empty classroom and walking into it. Betty followed.  
‘What’s up?’ he asked.  
‘I heard Jug and his family are going to Pop’s tonight, this is our chance.’ She said  
‘Do you have the cameras?’ he asked.  
Betty took off her backpack and opened it, showing Archie the 7 cameras insider. She’d picked them up from the Pembrooke earlier that morning. He nodded and she closed it.  
‘Don’t you kind of feel guilty?” he asked, rubbing his arm nervously. ‘I mean going behind his back. Last time we did he tried to find evidence that one of his parents somehow broke the law he tried to leave Riverdale. He’s been through a lot and I don’t want to push him away. Are you sure we should do this?’  
Betty shouldered her backpack and nodded. ‘we need proof that Gladys is hurting him. He can’t be mad at us for trying to help.’ And even though they both knew they it was a lie; they knew they had to.  
3 hours later  
Jughead was in his room, nursing his head injury when FP and JB came home. He heard his father’s heavy footsteps coming up the stairs to the room and quickly arranged his hair so the cut from Gladys’ ring couldn’t be seen. There was a knock on his door, and it opened to FP’s grinning, oblivious face.  
‘Hey, Jug,’ he said cheerily, ‘Get some shoes on, your mother’s taking us to Pop’s for dinner,’ he said.  
‘Oh, um, can I maybe stay here? I’ve got a lot of homework to catch up on and I was gonna invite Betty over to help with the blue and gold,’ he replied nervously. Lies. He’d just go to the White Wyrm or the library.  
‘Geez, Jug, are you okay?’ And Jughead almost thought his father had finally noticed something was wrong when he continued, ‘saying no to food? I thought I’d never see the day,’  
Jughead looked down, feeling tears of helplessness and annoyance at his father’s obliviousness.  
‘But sure, school’s important,’ he said. ‘See you in an hour or two,’ he said and closed the door. Jughead closed in eyes and collapsed back on the bed. Why couldn’t someone help him without him telling them he needed it?  
_________________________  
Betty and Archie watched as the Jones car reversed out of the driveway and off to Pop’s from behind Archie’s hedge. As soon as they were out of site, betty began to get up, only to be pulled down by Archie.  
She looked at him confused and he pointed to a window. Jughead’s window. The light was still in and they could see jughead pacing, before grabbing his bag and climbing out the window (FP had most likely locked the door). Why was jughead sneaking out? He should be having dinner at pops.  
Betty moved behind the hedge so she was sure jughead wouldn’t see her. This was a mistake as she accidently snapped a twig. She held her breath and the two froze as Jughead looked suspiciously at the bush.  
A few moments of silence passed before Jughead slowly looked away, looking uncertain and began walking down the footpath.  
Betty and Archie sighed in relief.  
Sneaking into the Jones’ house wasn’t hard. All they had to do was climb up the ladder and into the window jughead had fortunately left unlocked. As soon as they were in, they set to work. 1 camera in Jug’s room, 2 in the loungeroom, 1 in the kitchen, 1 on the stairway and 1 in the basement.  
All was set. The cameras were hidden, and they would record for 48 hours before shutting off. They were in and out. Now they just had to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any ideas on what to do next?


	4. Chapter 4

‘I’m fine...  
It’s nothing....  
I’m happy...’  
Lie and pretend. He just wanted someone to notice his sadness but whenever someone was getting suspicious, he’d lie and pretend to be happy.  
Why couldn’t he say anything?  
He needed to let go of the false hope that someone would notice.  
Sometimes he asked himself: do you ever miss yourself?  
The person he was before his mother came back, before he started hating himself, before he hated his life.  
The answer was yes.  
He missed being honest with Betty and Archie.  
He missed his father noticing.  
He even missed JB’s antics.  
He missed a lot. But he stopped talking about how he felt because no one cared anyway.  
Gladys helped him see that. And no matter how much he hated her for it, he was thankful he knew now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this turned out to be depressing. Did not intent to do that. Hope you like it anyways. I’m posting the next chapter in like an hour if I get it done. I know this was short.


	5. Chapter 5

It’d been 3 days since Betty and Archie had installed the cameras in the Jones house. Now, they had to get them back. They had arranged to watch the footage at the Pembrooke with Veronica afterwards. The plan was simple.  
Wait till the Jones were out, sneak in through the window, grab the cameras, get back out.  
So, they camped out at Archie’s, glancing out the window every now and then. Only Gladys and Jughead were home, which mad Archie worried.  
They saw Jughead through his window once too. His back was towards them, but they could see dark marks on his arm. They were dark red, the skin around them crusty. Like burns.  
Betty suddenly felt sick. What if Gladys was hurting Jughead... and what if it was bad...  
She watched as Jughead shouldered his leather Serpents jacket and climbed out his window ladder.  
Sneaking out. That made the two suspicious.  
They watched as Gladys too left the house and quickly set into action. As she drove off to do who knows what (drug making) they snuck.  
Again, getting in was no trouble. The window was unlocked and ladder still in place. So they climbed up, went inside and retrieved the cameras. Betty made a quick count to check that all of them were there before facing the window to begin climbing out. She stopped.  
‘What?’ Archie asked.  
Betty crouched down and inspected the floor.   
‘Is this blood?” she asked, pointing to a small red puddle soaked into the carpet.   
Archie crouched down next to her and looked, hoping beyond hope that it wouldn’t be. But he didn’t know what else it could be. It was too dark to be food or sauce and Archie couldn’t convince himself otherwise. The two shared a look before hastily climbing out the window and heading to Archie’s car.  
The drive to the Pembrooke was slow and quiet. Neither one could comfort the other, so they didn’t bother doing so. They just hoped they wouldn’t see anything violent between Jughead and his mother. Jughead had enough family problems as it was.  
They pulled into the driveway and were greeted by Smithers, who lead them to Veronica’s room. They all settled down to watch what they would soon regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, my writings bad. Pretend its good for me XD


	6. Chapter 6

Jughead Jones. An idiot. At least that was what Veronica Lodge was thinking as she sat in shocked silence with Archie and Betty in her bedroom of the Pembrooke. They’d just finished watching all the... well horrifying... footage of Jughead’s house in the past few days.   
Gladys would be super sweet, kind and just what a mother should be while FP and JB were around but as soon as they were out of the picture for their daily ‘father-daughter catch up, Gladys turned into a monster that could rival only the devil itself.   
She hit him for no reason, burnt him with her cigarettes no matter how much he screamed, and her words were just as hurtful as her punches.  
‘I only left because of you. A disappointment.’  
That wasn’t nearly the worst she’d said.   
So, Betty had been right. Gladys was the reason for Jughead’s injuries, and the more Betty, Archie and veronica thought about it, the horrified they became.  
Gladys had choked her son. Burnt him with her cigarettes. Punched him unconscious. Made him afraid of home.  
She had no right.   
‘We have to show this to Sheriff Jones. He would be furious. He’ll help.’ Archie said once he overcame his shock of his best friend being abused.  
‘But we only know because we placed cameras in his house. We’d not only be confessing that we broke the law, but we’d be saying to his face that we placed cameras in his house. He’s the sheriff.’ Veronica said reasonably, trying to control her burning fry at Gladys.  
‘We’ll just send it to him anonymously,’ Betty said, tear stains still on her cheeks.  
‘No, we need to show him in person. It’s the least we can do, after all, Mr. Jones would never punish us if he knows what we’ve figured out about Gladys.’ Archie said. ‘Let’s go now, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep knowing this.’  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
Jughead groaned. His head throbbed painfully, and his ringing phone made sparks of pain shoot through his skull. Without opening his eyes, he blindly felt around his bedside table for his phone. As he felt it and picked it up, he squinted through the bright light, Betty’s name illuminating off of it. He pressed the green phone and held it to his ear, mumbling a groggy ‘hey Betts,’  
‘Jughead Jones, get over here now!’ she said furiously. ‘Where are you? We’re at your house and you dads worried,’ she said.  
‘Oh sorry... I’m... um...’ he looked over to the other side of the room where Toni was sleeping peacefully on her bed, Jughead on the floor. He’d asked Toni if he could bunk at hers. She’d said yes understandingly, obviously. Serpents stick together. ‘I’m at Toni’s,’  
‘What are you doing there?’ Betty’s incredulous voice questioned after a moment.  
‘I was at Pop’s late and her house was closer, and I didn’t want to walk all the way home, so I just bunked at hers.’ He lied easily. ‘I got to say, her floor is incredibly uncomfortable.’ He joked.  
He heard her sigh at the other end. ‘Just get over here, we need to have an important conversation with you father.’  
Jughead checked his watch. ‘At 1:30am?’  
‘Yes. Get over here.’ She hung up. Jughead rolled his eyes before reluctantly getting out of his warm sleeping bag. He hoped this wasn’t about his injuries that he may or may not have gotten by his ‘mother.’  
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
It took about half an hour to get a cab and get to his house. He thanked the driver, giving him $7 for the ride before getting out and walking to the door. As he opened t, he prepared himself for whatever Betty and his father thought was so important it couldn’t wait till a normal time to get up. He made his way inside and saw his father on the green couch and Betty, Veronica and Archie on the one across from it.  
‘Umm... hi?’ he said, sitting next to his dad, confused. ‘What’s going on?” he asked, looking around, hoping Gladys wasn’t around.  
‘Want to explain this?’ his father asked, pointing at Jughead’s cheek where there was a cut (totally not from Gladys’ ring).  
Jughead quickly covered it up. ‘Its nothing. Is this seriously what you woke me up for?’ he asked, exasperated.  
‘No. I want you to tell me why you didn’t tell me Gladys was hurting you,’ he father’s gaze was steady, but his voice wavered. Jughead’s eye widened.  
‘I-‘ he started.  
‘No excused, Jug. Why didn’t you tell us? We love you; you can trust us. Jug, I-‘ he rubbed a hand over his tired face. ‘I thought our family was finally back together.’   
‘That’s why.’ Jughead said simply. ‘I knew you were happy, thinking Gladys-‘ the use of his mother’s name and not ‘mum’ was noticed- ‘was here because she wanted to be a family again and I didn’t want to take the away from you,’ he said, looking down, ashamed.  
‘Jug... no, don’t ever do that again. You’re more important okay?’ Jughead nodded slowly. ‘Okay?’ FP pressed.  
‘Okay.’  
FP engulfed Jughead in a hug as Jughead felt a betrayal tear fall.  
He fell asleep on his father that night, the three friends also falling asleep on each other just across from him. He was safe. He felt safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probs do a chapter of FP yelling at Gladys and being all like 'Don't touch my son again' and all. we love protective fp in this househole, i stan XD


	7. Chapter 7

Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones. Inseparable. They were closer. As close as brothers. They did everything together, never going a day without seeing one another, whether it be school or a sleepover. They’d mad truces, promises, blood packs, you name it. No girl would come between them, no problem they couldn’t solve.  
That is until the 4th of July.   
Archie made a choice he regretted. It still haunted him; he didn’t know how he could betray his best friend for a girl. A child predator, as he would have seen if he weren’t so blind. So obnoxious.   
It. Haunted. Him.  
He wished he could’ve been there; on their road trip they’d been planning for years. And now, he was trying to make it up to him.   
Jughead was being abused and Archie was going to stand right by him, protect him and help him. He hated Gladys for hurting Jughead just as he had, and he would make her pay. One way or another.  
So, when he woke up at 7:30am and found himself on the Jones’ couch in between Veronica and Betty, it took him a while to remember what he was doing there. When he remembered, he sat up and looked over at Jughead Jones, curled up in him father’s arms, bruised littering his face. He wanted to kill Gladys.  
FP was awake, staring at Archie who was glaring at the stairway.  
‘Arch,’ he whispered, attracting the young man’s attention, ‘leave her to me,’ he said, looking knowingly at him.   
Archie nodded reluctantly.  
‘C’mere, take care of Jug for me,’ he said, cautiously getting up in order to make sure he didn’t wake the abused teen. Archie nodded again and took FP’s place next to Jughead, wrapping an arm around his brother protectively. He felt his mouth tilt up when Jughead cuddled closer to him. He was safe.   
FP went upstairs to where light footsteps could be heard, indicating JB was awake.  
‘Hey, Jellybean,’ FP whispered to the groggy girl who was rubbing her tired eyes.   
‘Hey dad,’ she yawned, giving him a quick hug. ‘I’m gonna go get some cereal,’ she said.  
‘Uh... JB, your brother has a few friends over and most of them are asleep so try not to wake them,’ he requested.  
JB nodded slowly, confused. She hadn’t remembered anyone else being there last night before she went to bed.  
As she walked downstairs, FP turned to Gladys’ door, where he heard her moving things around. He knocked on her door, waiting for an answer.  
‘Come in,’ she said.  
FP walked in, glaring at his ex-wife. She looked at him confused. ‘What?’ she asked.  
‘‘What?’’ Are you serious?’ he almost yelled, remembering his sleeping son. ‘You need to pack your things and get. Out.’ He said furiously.  
‘Excuse me?’ she said, outraged. ‘I bought this house!’  
‘You also hit my son, which you will not get away with unpunished,’ he could’ve sworn he saw a slam smile at the corner of her lip at the mention of it.  
‘Fine, but I’m taking JB,’ she said, not denying it.  
FP was manic. ‘You will not be taking her, especially without asking her if that’s what she wants and without her knowing what you’ve done to Jughead,’ he said, clenching his fists.  
Gladys frowned before grabbing her suitcase. She walked up to him, her nose inches from his own. ‘You better watch that boy of yours,’ she said, smirking evilly, before leaving the room and heading downstairs, FP hot on her heels.   
As she passed the couch, Archie as well as Betty and Veronica who were now awake, glared at her, Archie gripping Jughead tighter. Gladys just smirked again and left. She simply left.  
No apologies, no goodbyes to her daughter, nothing. Nil. Nada.  
She left.  
But Archie couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Jughead was safe. He would always make sure that Jughead. Was. Safe.  
He looked at Betty, FP and Veronica, and smiled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, terrible ending, I just didn’t know what to do XD.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I continue?


End file.
